Okay, here's what happened:
The review alerts stopped working.
So I thought no one had reviewed the last chapter.
So I thought it was a terrible chapter.
So I thought it was a terrible story.
So I decided to delete all the documents of it from my computer in shame.
Then the review alerts started working.
Then I kicked myself.
Thank you for waiting im/patiently. The story is nearing an end now! Here is the latest chapter, just to warn you, it's quite dark!!:
If a stranger was to observe Uchiha Sasuke, what they would come to conclude was that he was a boy who most definitely did not live in fear.
They would be wrong.
In fact, Sasuke was scared of quite a few things. He would always get scared when the neighbours dog barked uncontrollably or ran up to him and attempted to maul him with happiness when he left his apartment for missions. But no one knew that, because Sasuke could conceal his fear so well with almost any situation.
Most recently, Sasuke had become scared of himself. He couldn't quite understand it, but every time he caught his reflection in the mirror, he had to look away immediately, his heart pacing. Almost as if to think,
This is what you've become.
Sasuke supposed, the feelings of guilt and fear were quite similar ones.
And whether he was feeling guilty or scared at the scene before him, he concealed those feelings once more.
"Come with you? Where?" He said slowly, almost calmly.
The sound ninja gave a throaty laugh. He and the others with him had their faces hidden. "Don't play games."
"I'm not." Sasuke returned straight away. "I'm geniunly concerned about where you are taking me."
The sound ninja paused, almost considering whether he was to treat this boy like his superior or a captive. "In short, to Orochimaru's, whether you like it or not."
Sasuke nodded, keeping his eyes steadily on the man in front of him, ignoring Naruto's fearful and questionable gaze. "You mean you'll try."
Anger edged the sound ninja's tone. "You don't have a choice here, kid."
"Oh I know that. Don't worry, I'm on your side." Sasuke raised his eyebrows with a ghost of a smile on his lips. "I was wondering when you'd get here. You look alot more reliable than the other ones that guided me before." Sasuke approached the sound ninja, holding up his arms. "I'm on your side," he repeated. "no need to be so rude, and you can release him too." He added, nodding towards Naruto.
The sound ninja frowned. "You expect me to fall for that?"
Sasuke's expression darkened. "Release as in let him go, not leave. You think I'm stupid?" He snapped quickly.
Several of the ninjas exchanged glances, surprised by his confident demands. The one with the knife under Naruto's chin dropped him to the ground. Naruto cursed as he hit the floor, before scrambling up. He attempted to move over to Sasuke but several of the sound ninjas blocked his way, he glared at them and then at Sasuke.
"Why are you doing this? Sasuke look at me…"
Sasuke did, and the small narrowing of his eyes silenced Naruto.
Trust me.
Sasuke turned back to the sound ninja. "So what was the plan here exactly? Grab me and run? You can't be serious, you think speed is going to counter Konoha's strength of defence around me?"
The main sound ninja smiled under his mask. "Well if you're willing to kill the witness then it's worth a shot, no?" He turned to Naruto, and stuck a dagger against his throat once more,
Naruto stared in horror at the ninjas, not because his life was being threatened, but the sheer lack of concern over their own.
That snake bastard…
Sasuke also winced at the behaviour, but still stood his ground. "No." He said firmly. "You're not killing him."
The sound ninjas were getting impatient now. "Look kid," he growled. "we haven't got time for this, now are you coming or do we have to make you? This is all for Orochimaru you know."
Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not killing anyone."
Naruto looked at him pleadingly.
"What makes you think I care?" The sound ninja scoffed, he signaled to his team mates. "Grab him, I've had enough he's not co-orperating."
The ninjas attacked Sasuke all at once, who managed to dodge them by pushing through one and grabbing his dagger. He landed unsteadily on the other side of the room, holding up the dagger. Naruto took this opportunity to run over to the other side of the room away from the attackers, but his presence had almost been forgotten. Sasuke stood facing the ninjas, his face was again calm but the hand holding up the weapon was shaking slightly.
The ninjas circled him, slowly. "Come on kid… be smart here. You don't honestly think you can take us all down with one weapon, do you?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No. I don't." He placed the dagger over his wrist. Every eye in the room were on his arms, they all widened simultaneously.
Naruto stared. "What are you-"
"You need me alive right? Well you come one stop closer and I swear…" He pointed the end of the dagger over his wrist.
There was a pause, everyone glances at each other nervously.
"You're bluffing." The sound ninja announced. Naruto prayed he was right.
"Hm." Sasuke turned his neck, as if looking around for any other objections. Then with one big, swift movement, he threw the dagger across his wrist. Naruto's jaw dropped as large drops of blood flicked onto the worn carpet.
Sasuke immediately dropped to his knees in pain, muttering swear words. The rest of the room were speechless. Several sound ninjas tried to move towards him but he forced himself to stand again.
"Don't!" He said sharply, pointing the dagger to his other wrist, they stopped on the spot. "Leave." He ordered, through gritted teeth.
"You can't be serious-"
Sasuke slashed his other wrist, the cut even deeper than the one before. He stumbled once more, and made no effort to try and stand. Blood had dripped over his clothes and the floor, Naruto eyed this uneasily. Sasuke shook uncontrollably, crouched over, he stuggled to lift the blade but held it under his neck.
"Do I have to make it clearer?" His voice barely a whisper.
The intruders looked to the main sound ninja, who had been speaking the entire time. He gulped, frowning, eyeing the broken wrists and blood. He and Sasuke then locked eyes, trying to outstare each other. The sound ninja finally looked away and turned away.
"Fine." He said quietly. He knew what failure meant, and so did the rest of the attackers. Failure wasn't an option for Orochimaru, when they returned, threats of suicide or not they would face death. But they would suffer a fate far worse if they were responsible for the uchiha's death…
The ninjas jumped up and out the window, disappearing into the dark night.
Naruto immedietly disappeared into the bathroom. Sasuke, disoriented, leant over on his side, dropping the dagger and closing his eyes.
He didn't notice that Naruto had reentered the room with a towel till he spoke up. "Hey! Hey! Don't fall asleep on me!" He was attempting to sound light hearted but his voice was high pitched in panic.
Sasuke slowly sat up, his eyes opening slightly as Naruto compressed the slashes on his wrists with the towel.
"You stupid, crazy bastard." Naruto muttered slowly through gritted teeth. Sasuke made no effort to argue back, he simply nodded. "You must really want to die." Naruto added.
"Doesn't matter what I want, they wanted me alive. It was the only way…" He mumbled, leaning over again.
Naruto shook him slightly, making him sit up again. "Only way! You!" He dropped his voice. "I'm not argueing with you when you're like this."
At that momeny Kakashi walked in. It took him a fraction of a second to notice the broken furniture, and hole in the roof. It took him that fraction of a second to notice his two students sitting in the middle of the wreck, it also took him that fraction of a second to see the blood.
And in that fraction of a second he immediately reacted.
Dropping beside them, Kakashi took over the towel and kept it placed of Sasuke's wrists, Naruto moved out of the way as soon as he noticed him. Their conversation was fast, Naruto's voice shaky and Kakashi's deeply serious.
"What happened?"
"Sound ninjas attacked."
"Did they hurt you?"
"Not really, they've left."
"They left?... What of the Anbu?"
"I-I don't know."
"Go onto the roof and check the fatalities, if anyone's alive contact the nearest chuunin or higher and find a medic. Got that?"
"Sasuke, he…"
"Have you got that?"
"Yes!"
Naruto jumped up straight away and out onto the roof. Kakashi held Sasuke's wrists together and tightly wrapped the now blood soaked towel around them.
Sasuke seemed to recognize his teacher. "Kakashi… listen to me. About the team…"
"Not now. We'll talk about it later." Kakashi interrupted, placing his hands under his student's knees and shoulders.
"No!" Sasuke said a little loudly. "Listen to me, cos I don't know how much time I've got…"
Kakashi looked at his students face, his skin was growing paler and his eyes struggled to remain open. Pain etched his face.
"Team 7… was the best thing that ever happened to me." He whispered, voice cracking. "So you all take care of each other, whatever happens to me…"
And although Uchiha Sasuke would conceal his inner thoughts and fears throughout his life, it wasn't until he thought it was coming to an end that he would realize what really mattered, and what he took for granted.
"Okay, Sasuke. But don't you give up, not now. So just try to stay awake for me." Kakashi said loudly and clearly, trying to get through to Sasuke whose eyes started to close again. He lifted him up and headed out the room to Konoha Hospital, as quickly as possible.
Because Sasuke never truly appreciated his friends, nor their courage.
"I'm so scared." Kakashi heard Sasuke say in a small voice as the wind roared through his ears due to the speed they were moving.
The sad truth was, that Uchiha Sasuke lived in fear.
"Just stay awake." Kakashi muttered, hoping he would hear him.
And to live in fear, is not to live at all.
Sasuke ignored his teacher's order, and gave into the darkness.
Personally I think this chapter was pretty sucky, and kinda messed up. Of course if you browse FanFiction you'll find far more disturbing material than what I just wrote about.
Anyway if none of you like it I don't mind rewriting it or deleting it. Afterall, I'm doing this for you! The reader! J
Geez I make them so out of character too I cringe as I write it's ridiculous, but hey at least I updated!! Don't kill me lol